Goergl tops second training run in Cortina, Vonn third

By Eric Williams

January 13, 2012

Just a week after earning her first career World Cup downhill win, Austrian Elizabeth Goergl kept her momentum up today (Jan. 13) as the leader of the second and final training run ahead of tomorrow’s race in Cortina d Ampezzo, Italy.

Goergl, the reigning downhill world champion, finished with a time of one minute, 36.88 seconds. Twenty-year-old Norwegian Lotte Smiseth Sejersted was 0.24 second behind with the second-fastest time, followed by yesterday’s training run leader, American Lindsey Vonn, another 0.05 seconds adrift.

Today’s times were around three and a half seconds slower than yesterday’s due to gusty conditions, which caused officials to eliminate the final jump.

Defending overall champ and last year’s downhill winner here, German Maria Hoefl-Riesch took the day’s fourth fastest time, 1.04 seconds off the leading pace.

American Stacey Cook (third yesterday) looked strong again with the seventh-fastest time, followed closely by teammates Julia Mancuso and Laurene Ross in 11th and 13th, respectively.

Racing begins tomorrow with the downhill at 10:30 CET (4:30 AM EST). The women will also race a super G on Sunday.